You can use a keyboard shortcut to insert an element in FrameMaker XML Author (FMXA) and enter a "category" (like "list") to filter the results shown from the element catalog. This eliminates a great deal of complexity, ensures correct selection of the proper element. It also makes XML or DITA much less intimidating to new-comers!

FrameMaker XML Author 12 allows novices to do so many powerful things. One of the most productive (and fun) is to copy content from Word and do a "Smart Paste" into the appropriate location of a DITA file. Watch the extraordinary amount of both formatting and automatic formatting that is achieved in mere seconds!

FrameMaker allows you to temporarily display a standard DITAmap in a "document" view. This shows all navtitles as hyperlinked headlings. This brief video reveals how a simple command allows you to expand all the content of a dita topic and make it visible from your doc view of the DITAmap. This is a tremendous time save when you are trying to locate the correct topic to edit based on visual cues like graphics and tables.

You can use a keyboard shortcut to insert an element in STRUCTURED FrameMaker 12 (or FrameMaker XML Author 12) and enter a "category" (like "list") to filter the results shown from the element catalog. This eliminates a great deal of complexity, ensures correct selection of the proper element. It also makes XML or DITA much less intimidating to new-comers!

FrameMaker XML Author 12 allows novices to do so many powerful things. One of the most productive (and fun) is to copy content from Word and do a "Smart Paste" into the appropriate location of a DITA file. Watch the extraordinary amount of both formatting and automatic formatting that is achieved in mere seconds!

FrameMaker XML Author 12 allows you to create powerful DITA compliant content. For instance you can use the optional MathML add-on to create XML-compliant equations. Discover how easy it is to insert MathML equations, and how you can even view and edit code in a "line mode" via the XML Code View.

There are many myths about FrameMaker. "FrameMaker only outputs to PDF?" "FrameMaker isn't a real DITA editor?" "FrameMaker is overkill and has too many features?" Have a hands-on trial with FrameMaker 12 and bust a few myths for yourself.

Alan Pringle of Scriptorium gives two pieces of advice: (1) get a decent understanding of tagging languages like XML and DITA. (2) Don't isolate yourself as a "tech comm" department. Reach out to all divisions of the company and your customers whom you are creating content for.

FrameMaker 11 is a user-friendly DITA/XML authoring and editing tool. In this brief video we look at several ways that you can select and manipulate XML elements without using the familiar structure view window. Several convenient keyboard shortcuts are shared.

You can easily import a Word document into unstructured FrameMaker format by simply opening the Word file in FrameMaker. One shortcoming is that the graphics embedded in Word will come over as embedded graphics in FrameMaker; this makes your files larger and you cannot edit the graphics. The Smart Paste command in structured FrameMaker may be used to swiftly convert selected Word graphics into referenced graphics. In this brief video, Adobe Product Evangelist, Maxwell Hoffmann (@maxwellhoffmann) shows you the simple steps to accomplish this. You are actually just using a temporary DITA Topic files as a placeholder to allow the file conversion to take place via smart paste. Try it; it's easy!

FrameMaker 11 can save you a great deal of time and money over seemingly "less expensive" XML solutions, due to the reduced time to create full formatting for all of your outputs. This brief video walks you through a carefully researched Return on Investment (ROI) Calculator that will identify "cash leaks" in many competitive XML or DITA solutions. Although the calculator is populated with typical, realistic values, you may swiftly customize it with your own data. Here is the URL shortcut to go to the calculator itself: http://adobe.ly/17QTK1K

Learning how to create format rules in the EDD is simple, once you've grasped basic principles of formatting in FrameMaker 11. You see, Format rules in the Element Definition Document (EDD) exactly mirror every day choices you find in the paragraph, character or table catalog. This brief video shows you how a guided editor in the EDD will prompt you for what values you can legally create. Notice how closely the choices mirror those found in your format designers.

Adobe Certified Expert, Matt Sullivan, shows you a simple technique for updating a navtitle in a ditamap in structured FrameMaker 11. The familiar tools in the resource manager do not provide the solution. Find out how switching to the 'document view' for ditamap provides a simple solution.

Certified Adobe Expert Matt Sullivan takes you through the few simple steps to modify out-of-the-box structured FrameMaker templates for DITA 1.2. With these techniques, you can add your own company logo, or your own look and feel to topics or concepts that you create in DITA using FrameMaker 11.

In this STC/Adobe interview, Sara O'Keefe maintains that your search for a solution should not start with a focus on what tools to select for authoring. You starting point should be determining what type of relevant, business-critical content you need to deliver. Do you need to deliver high quality PDF? Can your users be happy with web and mobile access only? Will your content require a certain type of metadata? How will you manage your content? Once you have answered these questions, then you can qualify and determine which authoring tools will best suit your needs.

In this Adobe/STC booth interview, Mark Baker (Principal Consultant, Analecta Communications) shares new reasons why re-use with structured is so critical. "Re-use is a really important aspect of technical writing today." Structured writing is about adding a structure to your text to make it a "query-able" set of content. We must realize that people no longer read our content in a linear order. Because content is modular and must be capable of being reordered on short notice, we need "plug-and-play" content, where all links will work when components are moved.

Documentation exists to support the application, not just to be read. Traditionally, we have written long procedures with a great deal of overlap, and often more information than the user is seeking. Topic-based authoring with topic, concept and task allows you to write very targeted information with a high degree of reuse. Updating projects is much easier to do with DITA. Topic-based authoring is much more focused, and easier to stay on target.

FrameMaker 11 is a straight forward, accessible DITA editor. The process is so simple that you can start authoring DITA, even before you fully understand DITA structure. This 4 minute demo introduces you to the simple user interface and how "promoting" a list item via simple drag-n-drop will change its formatting! With FrameMaker, you can begin authoring in an out-of-the box DITA application with minimal training and ramp up time.

Alan Porter discussed the importance of story telling in technical communication. Even the DITA model has a beginning, a middle and an end. We remember "stories" more than a collection of facts. Approach your tech communications in this manner

FrameMaker 11 publishes sample files from DITA Open Toolkit "out-of-the-box." Using other DITA editors, it can required a lot of work to design style sheets that will publish OTK to rich PDF. FrameMaker 11 allows you to save DitaMaps to a FrameMaker book "with components." This means that a cover page, generated TOC, Index, List of Tables and List of Figures is automatically inserted in the correct locations. From that point you can swiftly publish to PDF with stunning results. Watch this video to see how you can achieve this with just a few mouse clicks.

See a new twist on how 3 different ways to view and edit DITA or XML in FrameMaker 11 can be used. Traditional WYSIWYG (page) view still shows exact line breaks, headers/footers and full formatting, if you are going to publish to print or PDF. New AUTHOR VIEW shows only generically formatted content with no page breaks and symbolic indents; ideal for authors who need to focus on content that may go to multiple formats beyond print. Finally, get a glimpse of how powerful XML CODE VIEW can be with INTELLIPROMPT, suggesting legal elements or attributes while you are typing. These 3 views combined help make FrameMaker 11 a full-fledged DITA/XML authoring solution.

Rick Thompson of Accenture shares insights on the dynamics of technical communications in the public sector, based on projects for government agencies while presenting at Adobe Technical Communication Enterprise Summit 2011

Mark Steckel share insights gained from documentation for medical diagnostic equipment. He detects customer pressure for more compelling and interactive help with more "find-a-bility" and the capacity for user comments and feedback. He also learned how DITA/XML can substantially reduce language translation costs.

Erin McNamee comments on the challenges for her clientele, which are primarily internal support staff. She also foresees the inevitable "move to mobile" for most companies, and praises Adobe products which offer google analytics to actually track which portions of your content your customers are returning to

The inaugural Tech Comm Executive Summit celebrated the 25th anniversary of FrameMaker and the 20th anniversary of RoboHelp in late 2011. This video features a montage of interviews and portions of presentations from key Adobe management staff. Industries range from software, medical, manufacturing to government.

Presenter Beth Gerber of Lighttext.com shares feedback on her work with RoboHelp to single-source procedure docs and training materials for banking and finance. She also comments on the challenges of making accessible training while adhering to strict, regulatory compliance

FrameMaker 11 introduces a powerful new way to author an edit XML directly with XML View. Let Intelliprompt suggest legal elements, and have elements "closed" for you. Realtime validation will display errors in a console. Use the "tree" to navigate through your XML code. This feature is one of many reasons that have led industry thought leaders to pronounce FrameMaker 11 a "real" DITA authoring solution.

FrameMaker 11 has improved productivity in many areas, but a favorite with veteran users is the restoration of reliable keyboard shortcuts for paragraph and character formatting, conditional text control, as well as insertion, wrapping and changing XML elements. Watch how simple keyboard shortcuts can allow you to swiftly shape your document without leaving the text you are authoring

RoboHelp 10 has tight integration with Captivate 6. It is possible to create a SW simulation via CP6 during authoring in RoboHelp 10, or even to import step-by-step CP6 instructions in HTML5.
This is one of several videos that highlight key features in the latest release of Technical Communication Suite 4 (TCS4), which includes FrameMaker 11 (FM11), RoboHelp 10 (RH10), Captivate 6 (CP6) and more. With TCS4, work faster and smarter with cross-product integration. Easily author and enrich XML/DITA content. Publish to multiple channels, formats and screens using multiscreen HTML5, and increase overall enterprise productivity.

FrameMaker 11 has expanded it's capabilities with DITAmap. If you wish to swiftly generate TOCs, LOFs, and Indices, you no longer have to manually insert these generated documents. It is now possible to do a simple "save as Book with generated components" ... and more.

We listened to our customers, and back by popular demand are reliable keyboard shortcuts for changing format styles, inserting XML elements, wrapping text in conditions, etc. Watch how easy it is to use FrameMaker 11 w/o hardly touching a mouse!

FrameMaker 11's new ability to temporarily display and print line numbers in structured or richly formatted text. This feature is a boon to internal approval cycles and content with legal ramifications.

FrameMaker 10 has the ability to create new XML files several different ways. Users no longer have to create proprietary binary files. New XML files can display optional "banner" text to help guide the type of content that should be input

RoboHelp 10 can either import or dynamically link MS Word files as source files. This is often a first step towards more powerful, high volume authoring with Tech Comm Suite 4.
This is one of several videos that highlight key features in the latest release of Technical Communication Suite 4 (TCS4), which includes FrameMaker 11 (FM11), RoboHelp 10 (RH10), Captivate 6 (CP6) and more. With TCS4, work faster and smarter with cross-product integration. Easily author and enrich XML/DITA content. Publish to multiple channels, formats and screens using multiscreen HTML5, and increase overall enterprise productivity.

RoboHelp 10 has the ability to apply a new look to *.chm files compiled for WinHelp, helping to make this older Help format be more appealing to your customers.
This is one of several videos that highlight key features in the latest release of Technical Communication Suite 4 (TCS4), which includes FrameMaker 11 (FM11), RoboHelp 10 (RH10), Captivate 6 (CP6) and more. With TCS4, work faster and smarter with cross-product integration. Easily author and enrich XML/DITA content. Publish to multiple channels, formats and screens using multiscreen HTML5, and increase overall enterprise productivity.

Powerful new search features in RoboHelp 10. This is one of several videos that highlight key features in the latest release of Technical Communication Suite 4 (TCS4), which includes FrameMaker 11 (FM11), RoboHelp 10 (RH10), Captivate 6 (CP6) and more. With TCS4, work faster and smarter with cross-product integration. Easily author and enrich XML/DITA content. Publish to multiple channels, formats and screens using multiscreen HTML5, and increase overall enterprise productivity.

RoboHelp 10's HTML5 support enables multiscreen support on a variety of devices. Help files are no longer limited to the traditional "tri-pane" layout. Text and graphics can dynamically resize with many devices.
This is one of several videos that highlight key features in the latest release of Technical Communication Suite 4 (TCS4), which includes FrameMaker 11 (FM11), RoboHelp 10 (RH10), Captivate 6 (CP6) and more. With TCS4, work faster and smarter with cross-product integration. Easily author and enrich XML/DITA content. Publish to multiple channels, formats and screens using multiscreen HTML5, and increase overall enterprise productivity.

RoboHelp 10 has new screen layout tools that allow users to visually create layouts for the many devices supported by HTML5.
This is one of several videos that highlight key features in the latest release of Technical Communication Suite 4 (TCS4), which includes FrameMaker 11 (FM11), RoboHelp 10 (RH10), Captivate 6 (CP6) and more. With TCS4, work faster and smarter with cross-product integration. Easily author and enrich XML/DITA content. Publish to multiple channels, formats and screens using multiscreen HTML5, and increase overall enterprise productivity.

RoboHelp 10's HTML5 support and other tools, including media queries, allow your content to determine which device it is being displayed on, and the get optimized.
This is one of several videos that highlight key features in the latest release of Technical Communication Suite 4 (TCS4), which includes FrameMaker 11 (FM11), RoboHelp 10 (RH10), Captivate 6 (CP6) and more. With TCS4, work faster and smarter with cross-product integration. Easily author and enrich XML/DITA content. Publish to multiple channels, formats and screens using multiscreen HTML5, and increase overall enterprise productivity.

RoboHelp 10 has end-to-end publishing capabilities on Sharepoint, from authoring to collaborative review.
This is one of several videos that highlight key features in the latest release of Technical Communication Suite 4 (TCS4), which includes FrameMaker 11 (FM11), RoboHelp 10 (RH10), Captivate 6 (CP6) and more. With TCS4, work faster and smarter with cross-product integration. Easily author and enrich XML/DITA content. Publish to multiple channels, formats and screens using multiscreen HTML5, and increase overall enterprise productivity.

RoboHelp 10 has the ability to search for different combinations of data across files, and even indicate the location by line number. A significant enhancement.
This is one of several videos that highlight key features in the latest release of Technical Communication Suite 4 (TCS4), which includes FrameMaker 11 (FM11), RoboHelp 10 (RH10), Captivate 6 (CP6) and more. With TCS4, work faster and smarter with cross-product integration. Easily author and enrich XML/DITA content. Publish to multiple channels, formats and screens using multiscreen HTML5, and increase overall enterprise productivity.